Cutting edge for pastors and ministry leaders.
Phil Larson is not trying to reach transfer members to Hope Connection Church in Gainesville, Texas. He looks for the down-and-out, people who have given up on the future. Phil takes them in – the local judge and district attorney send most of them to him. Phil teaches them about life and living, and some of them […]
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/august/willow-creek-bill-hybels-heather-larson-elders-resign In sharing this story, I have no desire to sensationalize, or to celebrate the pain of Willow Creek Church or its founding pastor. In addition, everything in this article is now public information. My motive is sincerely to warn. I am convinced the devil’s first strategy is to get a pastor into a trap. His next […]
ministrytodaymag.com/life/deliverance/25176-this-is-destroying-more-churches-pastors-marriages-and-people-than-anything-in-history “The greatest threat to the cause of Christ in the history of the world.” – Josh McDowell BY: CONQUER SERIES 8:00AM EDT 7/16/2018 As we see the daily political and social turmoil in our society, Christians are praying for God to send a spiritual revival to stir the church and ignite the fire of repentance […]
christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/august/where-have-all-church-planters-gone. What’s the greatest hindrance to effective church planting? BY: Jeff Christopherson You might expect to get varied answers to this question from church planting theorists, strategists, and practitioners, but among those consistently participating in this conversation one comment bubbles to the top almost every time: A scarcity of prepared leaders. This wasn’t true […]
www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/july/singles-vital-part-of-our-churches Singles make up half of our churches, so we best learn to treat all people—married or single—equally. By: Ed Stetzer Let me just get this out there at the outset: For many, being single in the church can sometimes feel very awkward. I have heard a number of singles tell me stories that have […]
Here is another look at apologetics, from the pen of Sean McDowell, and it is well worth reading. One principle used in evaluating the credibility of a Bible story is how the author handles embarrassing information. And the more embarrassing the details, the more likely the story is credible. Sean McDowell presents this principle well in this short article. […]
www.startchurch.com/blog/view/name/city-bans-church-from-worshipping-in-coffee-shop? By: Raul Rivera What if a zoning law could keep your church from holding worship services? A church in Maryland has recently found itself in a legal battle with the city of Laurel, Maryland over zoning laws and whether or not it can continue to hold worship services. This is not the first time a […]
http://seanmcdowell.org/blog/the-biggest-issue-that-caused-me-to-doubt-my-faith This short article by Sean McDowell has brought back memories of when I was in college and was required to take a class in philosophy. My professor was a liberal minister who made no effort in the class to defend the Christian faith. I hit a wall in that class, and was not prepared […]
www.startchurch.com/blog/view/name/how-churches-can-honor-dads-this-fathers-day? By: Raul Rivera My role as a father is part of what shapes me and what I do with each day of my life; striving to make a difference in the lives of my family. I have written about my father and the father-figures God has placed in my life and how these […]
www.startchurch.com/blog/view/name/how-to-prevent-ministry-burnout? By: Raul Rivera Burnout reason #1: Critical Church Members Oftentimes, one of the greatest sources of burnout for a pastor can come from the very people that he or she serves on a weekly basis – church members. These are the folks for which you often stay up late praying. These are the individuals […]